Revere woman killed in hit-and-run

REVERE – Police have arrested an East Boston man who allegedly crashed into a pedestrian who was crossing Route 1A early Monday morning, killing her, and then fled the scene, according to Revere Police and prosecutors.Jon Ravida, 47, of East Boston, was arrested Monday afternoon and charged with motor vehicle homicide and leaving the scene of the collision that killed Sothany Pen, 22, of Revere Monday morning, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said in a press release.The accident occurred at 5:47 Monday morning on the Lee Burbank Highway (Route 1A) at the Route 16 overpass, Revere Police Capt. James Guido said.Revere Police detectives and State Police homicide detectives assigned to Conley’s office arrested Ravida following an interrogation at Revere Police Headquarters, according to the press release.Investigators believe he was driving the dark, late-model Ford Explorer that struck Pen on Lee Burbank Highway.Pen, 22, who previously attended Revere High School, had left her night-shift job at a nearby department store and was crossing Route 1A to go home when she was struck.The fatal hit-and-run accident prompted Revere City Councilor John R. Correggio to file an emergency motion with the City Council Monday night asking for State Police and Revere Police to work together to crack down on excessive speeding on Route 1A.The motion passed “unanimously,” Correggio said. “It is great that we are addressing this issue. Hopefully we won’t lose another life.” The city councilor believes because of this motion that excessive speeding on Route 1A will decrease significantly. “We need to get people to slow down. Human lives are involved. We have to have respect for human life,” Correggio said. “We want to make the city as safe as possible for everyone in Revere.”The at-large city councilor said drivers often drag race late at night on the road because of its long straightaway.”It goes straight for almost a mile and people tend to speed on that highway because of how it’s constructed,” Correggio said Monday. “We’re asking for stricter enforcement as far as the State Police working along with Revere Police to address excessive speeding,” Correggio said. “This has been an ongoing problem for years and there’s been numerous accidents.”He said the speed limit on the road is 40 miles per hour, but drivers often go 50, 60 or more.”We have a short meeting tonight and we’re planning on taking this motion up. We don’t want any more young people dying,” Correggio said.Ward 1 Councilor Richard Penta, who co-sponsored the motion, called Pen’s death “a tragedy.””My heart goes out to the family,” Penta said Monday.He called the stretch of road where Pen was killed a “very dangerous road,” but noted speeding is a problem on many roads in Revere, not just on Route 1A.Still, he believes more patrols and maybe even installing video cameras might slow motorists who use the road to get into Boston.”It needs more attention from the State Police,” he said of the stretch of Route 1A. “It’s not the only road, it’s all over the place, unfortunately.”Revere Mayor Thomas G. Ambrosino said Monday, “There’s always excessive speeding on the highways, but any additional law enforcement is helpful.”He also stressed that speeding is a problem “throughout all of Route 1A” and added that it’s dangerous to try and cross the highway.The DA’s office said in the press release that Ravida was identified as a suspect “through multiple witness interviews, surveillance imagery and other evidence developed throughout the day.”Investigators approached the suspect at his home, according to the press release, which noted that Ravida allegedly kept traveling south after hitting Pen, who was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.Ravida is expected to be arraigned today in Chelsea District Court, according to the press release.Pen’s brother, Sopaul Pen, declined to comment when reached Monday.